It has been discovered that the medical outcome for a patient suffering from severe brain trauma or from ischemia caused by stroke or heart attack or cardiac arrest is improved if the patient is cooled below normal body temperature (37° C.). Furthermore, it is also accepted that for such patients, it is important to prevent hyperthermia (fever) even if it is decided not to induce hypothermia.
As understood herein it may be advantageous, particularly for cardiac arrest patients, to immediately and rapidly perfuse one or more critical organs with cold fluid. The present invention also understands that owing to the structure of the arterial system, it may be necessary to provide a means to maintain the cold fluid in a desired body location for at least a limited time. With these critical recognitions in mind, the invention herein is provided.